I was a thumb-sucker when I was a kid--in fact, my mom despaired of ever getting me to stop. By the time I was four, they had tried cayenne pepper on my thumb (not recommended--apparently it made me cry, which made me rub my eyes, which got cayenne pepper in my eyes. Needless to say, not a pretty picture) painting my fingernails, punishments, threatenings, pleadings, coaxings, and bribings. None of that worked, until my mom came up with a brilliant idea.
She got a bag of M&M's, and then my older sister, my younger brother, and I each got an assigned plastic cup that went on top of the fridge every morning with 10 M&M's in it. Every time one of my siblings caught me sucking my thumb, one of MY M&M's went to them. I hated it (and I doubt it promoted sibling bonding), but apparently, my mom said that within a week I was done sucking my thumb.
So, needless to say, I was prepared for Jack to have an odd comforting technique that I would have to break him of eventually. But I was unprepared for what it was.
Jack likes to play with his bellybutton. When I put him to bed in onesies that zip all the way from the ankle to the neck, he gets SOOOO mad at me--because he can't find his belly button! When we're in new situations, I can tell he's uneasy or nervous, because his fingers find their way under his shirt and onto his bellybutton.
I snapped this photo while he was watching Elmo the other day...
She got a bag of M&M's, and then my older sister, my younger brother, and I each got an assigned plastic cup that went on top of the fridge every morning with 10 M&M's in it. Every time one of my siblings caught me sucking my thumb, one of MY M&M's went to them. I hated it (and I doubt it promoted sibling bonding), but apparently, my mom said that within a week I was done sucking my thumb.
So, needless to say, I was prepared for Jack to have an odd comforting technique that I would have to break him of eventually. But I was unprepared for what it was.
Jack likes to play with his bellybutton. When I put him to bed in onesies that zip all the way from the ankle to the neck, he gets SOOOO mad at me--because he can't find his belly button! When we're in new situations, I can tell he's uneasy or nervous, because his fingers find their way under his shirt and onto his bellybutton.
I snapped this photo while he was watching Elmo the other day...He's not only obsessed with his own bellybutton, however--he likes to find and play with mine, especially now that it's pretty obvious where it is (my bellybutton has been popping since month 5 of this pregnancy. Not attractive). Anytime my shirt rides up just a little bit, he wants to put his hands up there and find my bellybutton. I just laugh it off, but when it happens in public, it's a little awkward, to tell the truth. Luckily, he's more interested in his own than he is in mine, so if he can't play with mine, he'll play with his.
So, anyone else have weird comforting techniques they or their children have had?
Comments
Good luck with your little man. Don't worry about it too much. It is probably just a phase. He will grow out of it.
She played with her "button" so much it would bleed! I am SO very very glad those days are gone! She didn't stop sucking her finger until she was in kindergarten. I finally had to not make it an issue...and she stopped. Nothing else worked...and I tried it ALL!...all but having her hand and lower arm put in a cast...which we seriously considered...Dr. Peterson was all set to do it but I felt bad for her and decided not to.